We ventured our last day in Kuala Lumpur by acquiring a privately organized trip around the city. Taking the cabs and the train can be cheaper but considering again the kids, it's more convenient to have a private van. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the road trip!
At 9am our driver (which was also our tour guide) picked us up at the hotel and we went straight to the district of Gombak (which was claimed to be part of Selangor) to visit Batu Caves which is 8 miles north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From the main city, it took us about 25-30 minutes to reach the place.
Going out at night and walking a distant just to visit the mall, find a food court and see the majestic Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur can be dead tiring especially if you have two little kids walking with you too. But then I never want to spoil my evening just because of that. I'm the kind of person who always choose to see the brighter side of any situation most especially during our travels. I always believe that a "Negative mind will never give you a Positive life", therefore, it will take you to nowhere! So better move and discover more!
Experiencing the long walks in the busy district and finding our way to Suria KLCC mall that night was a wonderful experience for me inspite of the leg cramps. I never want to leave a place without visiting their mall, and I'm sure anyone would never want to miss Suria Mall which is at the grounds of the Petronas Twin Towers, home to all the prestigious designer brands like Hermes, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, name it they have it!
I'm just happy to share some of my photos taken during our evening walk at the streets of Kuala Lumpur. Just admiring the colorful symphony of lights from the fountains and the modern architectural design of the glorious building is a great way to enjoy quality time with your loved ones.
Searching and booking for hotels gives me great pains, as I have said before in my previous blog. And it gave me twice the pain searching for a nice hotel in a city not so desirable by many. There are a lot of hotels to choose from in the city of Johor Bahru Malaysia, but then again it should meet my standards which is comfort and security above value for money. I always consider Tripadvisor as one of the most useful sites when it comes to finding a hotel by reading the reviews contributed by most travellers.
Among the hotels which has received a lot of feedbacks including the negative ones is Hallmark Regency Hotel. I actually booked the hotel almost a week before our scheduled departure. The positive comments about the hotel complements with my standards, and the negative ones made me think about it a hundred times. But God is always a great provider and adviser.
I was one of those typical persons who used to check in at places on Facebook, I'm sure you do that too! C'mon! And during our recent trip to Malaysia I happened to check in at a hotel and the airport in Johor using applications on my mobile phone. A few of my friends messaged me privately asking, "Where is Johor Bahru?" And another one is, "What is in Johor Bahru, why did you go there?". OK! Johor Bahru, is another city in Malaysia. And the reason why we go there is because of Legoland. Ask me what it's like? Well, just to share to you some of the things I've learned and experienced at Johor Bahru, here's a short blog.
Our first trip to Malaysia together with our kids two weeks ago is one that I consider an "all-of-God's" favor trip. The moment we set foot on the plane going to Kuala Lumpur I felt His presence. Not only for the provision of finances, the P88 pesos air tickets, our safety, food and allowances but I also got so much favors for our accommodation.
We stayed for two nights at Johor Bahru, Malaysia and another night at Kuala Lumpur. The trip was very tiring, especially for the kids. On the last two days, my husband got sick, my son is having some leg pains and my daughter is ongoing medication but she managed to keep a cheerful disposition. Then my camera lens was broken. I guess I was the only one who stayed fit as a fiddle. But God has always been a source of strength and healing. And in Him we are highly favored!
One of the things that I consider when booking hotels for our trips is comfort and security. Some people may scrimp comfort and would settle for a lesser hotel to allocate the budget for shopping. But It would be nice for me to settle on the contrary. Because tours are tiring and exhausting, and it's always nice to have a cozy space that you can call a home while on vacation. I know there are a lot of budget hotels around that will not compromise my standards, hence, searching for hotels gives me great pains and consumes most of my time.
I was given the favors of booking a first class hotel in the very heart of Kuala Lumpur City, Malaysia. It's classy, homey, spacious, comfortable and most of all it's FREE!
One of life's simple pleasures that gives me immeasurable happiness is to have some quiet time, over a cup of coffee and a slice of cake in a nice and cozy place... I can be alone or i can share this moment with a friend or a loved one...
Just yesterday i was feeling down and sad, reason for me to jump out of my comfort zone and take that most enjoyable long drive away from home. Thanks to my hubby's cousins, Clarise and Claudine for sharing their time with me... The long drive turned out to be so quick and in an hour we found ourselves in the middle of Alabang Town Center (ATC) looking for this cafe, which i was longing to experience. I was actually craving for sweets plus something hot that time, and it was a perfect time to dine at Cafe Mary Grace.
Before i start my work today let me just share to you how our weekend went all well, especially our Sunday's Best. Going to church every Sunday is one thing that me and my husband would like to implement within the members of our household especially to our young kids.
Attending church services is one thing that I've been used to since my childhood. I grew up into a family of Christians, where my mom is very strict when it comes to worship and religion. And now that i have my own family, one of my priority is to raise Godly children, who knows how to pray and to be reminded that there is one big GOD who is above everything in this universe. And i would like to encourage other parents too, because I do believe that having our youths drawn into walking with God and teaching them how to be righteous in all ways will change (maybe) not the universe in a snap but the environment where they belong and then gradually they can change the world. And this will not be possible without having a relationship. A relationship between us parents and our dear children, and a relationship with God.
It was just an ordinary day for me yet i feel a bit sad... I woke up with my kids, prepared the breakfast, ate with them while having some short talk about school and play. Then i hurriedly fixed myself for work after the children left for school. It was a routinary life i must say. But happiness and contentment is what makes me going every single day.
Then i went home pretty late that night after meeting with a client, a church meeting afterwards and then last on my schedule list was to visit a dear one in the hospital... It was (maybe) the reason why i felt so drained, sad and a bit uncomfortable.
Our first staycation for this year as a family (because it's the first time that our kids are with us) and the last staycation for the year, officially kicks off at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila. Let me thank my ever loving and generous husband for the birthday gift! Hahaha! As much as we wanted to travel a lot, (which i have mentioned in my earlier posts) there are priorities that we wanted to stay focused and i really thank God for hotel privileges, which can suffice the need for a total rest and relaxation without flying.
I seldom go out with friends. With my full time profession as a mompreneur who works as a homemaker and a mom, plus an online entrepreneur on the side, schedules are too tight and going out with friends can mean a luxurious amount of time for me. But then, there are just a few friends who are so close to my heart that despite of my grueling schedules, i cannot afford to make it pass.
When you say Batangas, perhaps, the first thing that comes to mind is Kapeng Barako and the beautiful beaches. But don't you know that there's something Italian too in this southern most part of the region? Yes, we have Italian and Japanese raving the food market in the province today. Why not? Another reason for us to be proud and to love our local enterprises. And another basis for me to stay and enjoy the simple and quiet rural living in the province. I hope my dear Batangas will stay this way, a progressive and peaceful place to dwell in.
